change versus more of the same

October 20, 2008

The 10 Reasons I'm Voting for Barack Obama

Note: this is the follow-up to an earlier post. You may want to start here.

10. The historical moment

When Barack Obama spoke at the Democratic Convention in 2004, I said it was one of the best speeches I had ever heard. I also knew that I was hearing the first Democrat who I would ever consider voting for. When he decided to run for President 21 months ago, I was excited
by the possibility, but knew like most that it was highly unlikely that an
African-American with just two years experience as a senator could
defeat the Clinton machine and be elected in a time of war. What he has accomplished already is historic, but it is nothing compared to what is to come. When my grandchildren ask me how I voted at this historic moment, I know what I want my answer to be.

9. What it says about America

I want to live in a country where Barack Obama can be elected president. The entire world will look at the United States differently if he wins, yes partly due to his name and race, but also because of the clear contrast he presents to President Bush. We'd like to pretend that our popularity is not important, and obviously our national interest should always come first, but we as a nation are better off when the rest of the world sees us in a positive light and is willing to hear what we have to say.

8. The Republican Party

Political parties regularly rise and fall. Sometimes the best thing that can happen to a party is for it to be truly humbled, to be sent into the wilderness where it can rethink what it stands for and develop a new message for new times (see the Republican Party after Watergate or the current Conservative Party in Britain). The Republican Party deserves to be in the position it is in and could only benefit from starting over again. A quick aside: I don't think any Republican could have won this year and it is a testament to McCain's broad appeal that the race is as close as it is.

7. Personal identification

All of us like to identify with our leaders, but it is rare that average Americans can relate to a president. However, Obama's age, smart, beautiful, professional wife, adorable children, family finances (until recently), and love of writing are all things that make Obama the first candidate I have actually felt a connection with (as funny as that sounds).

6. Eloquence

The ability to write an eloquent speech and deliver it is a critical skill for a leader. Do speeches make a candidate? Certainly not. As a president, though, the ability to make the case to the country and the world, to inspire, challenge and convince us, is profoundly important. When Obama delivers a State of the Union address, or speaks to the nation from the Oval Office, his skill and eloquence will demand our attention. Speeches are a huge part of who we are, and they are worth doing exceptionally well.

5. Being smart is a good thing

How strange that it's left to the Democratic Party to make the case for exceptionalism (see The Incredibles). Obama is a very smart man who has surrounded himself with accomplished advisors. He is open to ideas from different sources and has proven himself to be thoughtful and careful in his thinking, almost to a fault. His primary debate flaw was been his insistence on being careful in his word choices and exploring every nuance of an issue.

Intelligence is not the same as wisdom or good judgment, but nor is it the character flaw that the Republican Party seems to think it is. David Brooks wrote an, um, incredible piece on this exact subject.

4. One America

From his initial speech in Boston four years ago to this endless race, Obama has reached out to all parts of the country. I believe he has great respect for our nation as a whole and all political persuasions within it (more so than many of his supporters actually). He has spoken about the role of faith in politics better than most Republicans and attended a Rick Warren forum long before he was a candidate for president. I believe he truly wants to unite us a country and has resisted endless opportunities in the campaign to exploit our differences. I'm not so naive to think a new political era is coming, but I believe we can and will do better.

3. The campaign

Obama has run
a phenomenal campaign and proven to be a truly impressive candidate. A campaign is no substitute for substantial political experience, but it reveals a lot about a person and his or her management style. Bill Clinton's chaotic campaign filled with emotional highs and lows, hints of scandal, and the relentless pursuit of every vote hinted at the early years of his presidency. Bush's campaign showed his tunnel focus and lack of openness. Hillary's campaign problems were traced back to her lack of decisiveness and tolerance of infighting. McCain's campaign has also been chaotic, constantly reaching for a new message or line of attack and lacking a consistent theme or underlying philosophy. His White House would likely be similar.

Obama's campaign, on the other hand, has been more impressive than any I've seen, especially during the primaries. It has been incredibly consistent, largely mistake free, and innovative in its fundraising and use of the web. Its success is one of the most remarkable achievements of modern politics and it speaks to what kind of leader Obama will be.

2.Temperament

The campaign has also shown Obama to be a steady force, driven and consistent. He speaks often of never getting too high or low based on polls or the state of the campaign and the past two years have proven that to be the case. He has generally avoided pandering to one group or another (except for a leftward turn during the primaries). Instead of Bill Clinton's somewhat desperate need for approval, Obama seems remarkably self-assured and comfortable with who he is. These are the characteristics I want in a president.

1. When I turn on the television on January 20, 2009 to watch the inauguration, who do I want to see?

Even when I was closest to voting for Senator McCain, this question made me think twice because I knew in my heart what the answer was.

I want Senator Barack Obama to be the next president of the United States.

Comments

I wholeheartedly agree with your ten reasons. I am particularly excited to see intelligence back into the selection mix. The Republicans have made it another dividing word ... elitist ... Harvard ... East Coast ... even arugula.
It would be wonderful to listen our president and hear something other than garbled sound bites that offer nothing constructive and inspire nobody!

While I respect your decision making process on voting for Obama, it strikes me odd that you didn't mention any of Obama's programs and policies for why you are voting for him. Most of your decision makings seems to be centered around how you feel about Obama. Since you enjoy political banter here are few of my takes on your list.

10. The historical moment

Yes, this is a historical moment. We will be electing the most liberal president in our nations history since FDR, the same FDR that enacted federal entitlement programs that cripple our nation today. And I certainly don't care what color his skin is. I only care about his views on what the role of the federal government should be. And his views are very different than mine. I would vote for a conservative African-American or female candidate in a heart beat. I would agree with you that his defeat over the Clinton machine was impressive.

When my grandchildren ask me why all their taxes add up to more than 50% of their income I will point to the historical moment in 2009 when Obama and Pelosi took power in the US.

9. What is says about America

I really don't care how Europeans view us (how I interpret your statement). Most Europeans hated Ronald Reagan and his politics. But his policies radically changed the face of Europe in a very positive way. Our strong conservative ideas has lead many of the new democracies in eastern European to adopt flat-tax policies and other very pro-business environments. Why, because they know first hand what "spreading the wealth" really means. The old powers of Europe (UK, France & Germany) do not like our policies because they are not in alignment with theirs. I'm sure a President Obama will find great success working with the UN.

8. The Republican Party

I would mostly agree with your sentiments here. I am very frustrated with my party and it appears that no one is at the helm. McCain broad appeal has not help him. Most of the newspapers throughout the country that have loved John McCain for years are now endorsing Obama. McCain's pick of Palin was short sided. McCain use of public funding will kill him the last month of the campaign as Obama outspends him more than 2 to 1. McCain has run the worst presidential campaign since Dukakis. It will kill us in the House and the Senate as well. While conservatives will pay the price for Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld's inept running of the White House, will Barney Frank, Chris Dodd and Maxine Waters pay a political price for allowing Fannie and Freddie to run our country into a deep recession? No, they will have new powers with a Democratic super-majority.

7. Personal identification

None of this should matter in electing a president. His age is a detriment because he has no experience to run the country (Bush didn't have much either because the Texas Governor has little authority to do anything) and his beautiful family is immaterial. His love of writing was just a way for him to launch his presidential campaign. He should have been back at the Senate writing real legislation. That is what he was elected to do by the people of Illinois. Of course writing real legislation would have been risky knowing that you would be running for president in a short while.

6. Eloquence

Speeches have some impact on the nation and sometimes they are memorable. But it is their policies and legislation that change our nation and world. LBJ delivered a great speech on the "War on Poverty" and how this legislation would change our society for the better. But his policies created a welfare state that destroyed entire communities. It took over 30 years to dismantle those policies thanks to Reagan, Bush and Clinton work. Reagan's speech at the Berlin Wall was important but it was his policies that caused the tides to turn in Europe and Russia. As Obama/Pelosi are raising my taxes and nationalizing health care, I won't care how eloquent he is and how many inspiring speeches he gives.

5. Being smart is a good thing

Almost all of our modern presidents have been educated at an Ivy League school, including George W Bush but not Ronald Reagan. What university you attend or how intellectual you are will not be a true measure on how successful a president you will be. Reagan proved that it was the principles that you believe in that matter most. He was not the most intelligent or eloquent president of our day, but the most effective. And yes I always read David Brook's blogs and only agree that the Republican party is in an identity crisis. The rest smacks of left-coast elitism.

4. One America

Barak Obama sat in a church for years that espoused racial divisiveness. I don't believe many people in America would have sat in those pews very long. I know that I would have walked out and never come back. On two occasions I have walked out of a friend's house after a racial joke was told. It is tough to do but if you believe that everyone is created equal there is only one thing to do. Walk. But he sat there for years and participated in that church. It was only after he was running for president that he distanced himself from those views. So my conclusion is that deep down he shares those racial views. And those views are not of a "One America." It is your actions that matter, not what you say in front of a camera later on. The hypocrisy is astounding. Where is his positive role of faith been manifested beyond a speech?

3. The campaign

Obama has run a very successful campaign. McCain has not. It was Barak's campaign to lose. He has raised an insane amount of money (something the media would be pounding everyday if it were McCain) and that has greatly benefited him in battleground states the last 2 months (I'm glad I don't live in a battleground state). And of course Obama broke an early campaign promise that he would only use public funding of his campaign (what McCain has done). With this action, campaign finance reform is out the window and this will radically change the way we elect presidents. I don't think it is a true indicator on how great a president he will be, but with someone with so little experience you have to hang your hat on something. His advisers are not varied and mostly liberals, even Warren Buffet.

2. Temperament

Obama does have a very good temperament. I have been impressed that he never becomes rattled and is able to defend his positions with clarity. He doesn't have to pander to the left wing right now because they all know he is one of them and he will serve their ideologies once elected. I don't believe he is very decisive, the most recent example being his response on the Georgian conflict. Will that serve him well during times of crisis as a president? Time will tell.

1. January 2009

In November I will vote for John McCain for many reasons not feelings. I support his views on taxes, his spending freeze, his expansion of Nuclear energy and his commitment to a strong national defense. And because I believe he has already proven he has the leadership to govern across both parties.

In January, I will probably reread Hayek's "Road to Serfdom" so I will know where our new form of collectivism will lead us. Or pick up a copy of Friedman's "Capitalism and Freedom" and dream of a better day for America. I will skip the ceremony on the 20th. These are dark days to be a conservative.

I tend to agree with Rick Chatham rather that Brian Bailey. This country is going to pot! Brian will realize he's wrong once we have socialized medicine. And then America will get what it deserves. What a sad day that will be and our "free country" will never be free again. Barak will be the one that will have led us down that road. God help us!!

Iconmaster: I don't see it that way. If McCain were to somehow win, it makes me sick that some would claim it was because of racism. Many on the left claim that the last two elections were literally stolen from them. Now we hear Republicans starting to claim Obama and Acorn may be "stealing" the election. When the other side wins, I wish we could congratulate them in victory and accept that the people have spoken. It makes it very hard to govern when a large percentage of the country is claiming that our leaders are somehow illegitimate.

Charlie: great to hear from you! My wife and I have been talking about that very subject. I've heard from many lifelong Republicans who are considering a Democrat for the first time. Whether they end up voting that way or not, it's a big deal.

Rick: thanks for taking the time for such a thoughtful, thorough response. I certainly can't do it justice in this comment.

It is really unbelievable that you have to avoid addressing this issue to support him. You'd at least think would try to persuade us that the hostility he has displayed toward the unborn isn't real hostility, or at least that he has repented and has changed. You won't because you can't.

Good discussion fellas. I agree with Rick. Vote the issues. Once identity politics run a muck you'll have a Ms. America in the White House, who doesn't know the first thing about running a country (NOT a reference to Obama, just an observation on the history of politics). This is not a popularity contest, or at least it shouldn't be. The candidates are not running for high school class president.

I vote based on my world view which is directed by my Christian faith - so my top 5 are Marriage(for), Abortion(against), Courts (Conservative), Economy(for Free Market), Alternative Energy + drilling(Nuclear, bio).

Brian, I was directed to your site by a book on blog marketing. I was delighted to be referred to a notable Christian site. How disappointed I am to read the post of the day on your blog.

Rick, thank you for addressing each of the points from a Christian perspective. While I am very disappointed in the Republican party, my responsibility is to help improve it as the only pro-life party that exists today.

I expect appearance, charisma and "feel good" reasons for voting for Obama from the worldly crowd. I expect issues, facts, discernment, and evidence to guide Christians. Rick's list should be the prominent one displayed. We need change, but we need first to support our values, work for change, pray in humility and trust that God will bless us as a nation when we get back on the right track as outlined in His word.

I think you might have missed it on this one. I'd really like to know your reasoning in regards to his positions and potential policies and appointments. Also (and I apologize in advance for the hokey way I'm asking this), do you think Jesus would vote for Obama? (Yuck, that just sound so pedestrian) I'm not trying to over-simplify or spiritualize the question, but for me, this is the first and central question I have to address. Where do you see the convergence with the teaching and examples of Jesus and the policies and voting record of Obama? I'm having trouble seeing it, but I'm open. Plus it will give me some solace when/if he's elected.

I'll hope you'll post again on this topic.

God bless, and keep up the hard work of being your own man and thinking your own thoughts.

Why do we as Christians say we are "pro-life", when we really mean "anti-abortion"? If we are going to be "pro-life", shouldn't that include ALL lives, not just the unborn, like our enemies for instance?

As Christians, let's not fool ourselves into thinking that the kingdom of God looks like the USA. It doesn't. Are we American's who also happen to be Christians, or the other way around? Think about it.

I appreciated your attempt at 10 "thoughtful" reasons for voting Obama. The great thing about this country is that we can have differences and it be ok. However, your attempt at "thoughtful" has fallen way short. In fact, if I didn't know any better I would have thought you were commenting on a American Idol contender.

Like most all Obama supporters you did not give one substantive reason for voting Obama. History, identification, "intelligence" etc. don't cut it. You might as well say he looks good in a suit. Probably your 11th reason I am guessing.

This is not American Idol. The presidency of the US is a very serious matter that requires serious thought and a fundamental understanding of the issues in the context of history and the current world climate.

Perhaps you don't know of Obama's qualifications. Maybe you don't care. Maybe you feel qualifications don't matter as much as "style" points. I assure you qualifications do matter. Experience does matter. A vision rooted and grounded in history and current world affairs and climate matters. It matters now more than ever.

9/11 taught us that if it taught us anything. On economics, foreign affairs, social issues, environmental issues, and energy issues Obama's views, "I would sight record but he doesn't have much of one on anything given that he has only been in public office for 9 years. 7 of which were as a state senator that had just over 200,000 citizens", are ALL wrong. Obama's "views" on these very important matters are all very wrong.

He sees government as the solution to all. Free market solutions are a dirty word to him and his party and Judeo Christian values are "outdated" and archaic.

Having said all that, I am not voting "against" Barrack Obama. I am voting "for" John McCain. John McCain is for energy independence. He voted for numerous pieces of legislation that would provide for drilling here at home and will come around on ANWR. He is for a strong military (see record). He is for the Bush tax cuts and maintaining them (see record). He supports Free Market solutions that unleashes American enterprise and creates wealth and jobs (see record). He is for Life (see record). He supports the second amendment (see record). He will successfully finish the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan (see record). John McCain led the legislation that attempted to restrain Freddie Mae and Mac 2 years ago (see record). John McCain knows what it's like to fight for our country (see history). He knows and appreciates our freedom's far more than most because he has been tortured for representing it (see history).

Hitler made history. Jimmy Carter made history. Making history is not what we need. Keeping American safe, strong, and prosperous is what we need. That is the legacy you want to pass to your children. We need tried and true, "proven" leadership. Not some "untested" looks-good-in-a-suit, can deliver a good speech, hope and a prayer junior senator who has never ran anything in his life.